Carolina Panthers

ESPN, citing a source familiar with the discussions, reported Sunday that high-powered California political officials have been courting Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson about moving the franchise to Los Angeles. The Panthers are one of four teams that own their own stadium, so they could move without breaking a lease. And the politicians reportedly spoke to Richardson at the recent Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., where L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was chairman of the convention.

The Carolina Panthers announced that quarterback Cam Newton is scheduled to undergo ankle surgery Wednesday and will need at least four months to recover. Newton injured his left ankle during a playoff loss to San Francisco in January. “The ankle was sore after the San Francisco game and we wanted to see if rest would calm it down, but it is still bothering him and the decision was made to address it,” Panthers trainer Ryan Anderson said. The surgery will be performed by Panthers team physician Robert Anderson.

Marty Hurney is no longer the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, a team that started the season with plenty of promise but fell to 1-5 with a 19-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Owner Jerry Richardson announced the firing of Hurney on Monday. "This was an extremely difficult decision," Richardson said in a team statement. "Marty made every effort to bring success to the Panthers and took the team to a Super Bowl.... Unfortunately, we have not enjoyed the success we hoped for in recent years.

Steve Smith was in no mood to talk about next weekend's NFC championship game. Not after his Carolina Panthers just lost their chance to play in that game with a 23-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. But that didn't stop a reporter from asking the veteran receiver which team, the 49ers or Seattle Seahawks, he'd be rooting for in the game that will determine who will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. What followed was probably the longest six seconds of that reporter's life as Smith struggled to come up with words to use in response to such a question.

The Carolina Panthers have won eight in a row, and Sunday are headed to New Orleans for their most daunting challenge of the season. For the 9-3 Panthers, the objective is to thrive in the chaos and noise of the Superdome against a seasoned 9-3 Saints team that's 6-0 in that building. It's in these times that the Panthers lean on All-Pro receiver Steve Smith, who is at his best under pressure, as he was last month when he repeatedly upstaged New England corner Aqib Talib in a 24-20 victory over the Patriots.

Scanning the long-range forecast for Spartanburg, S.C., Ryan Kalil sits in the comfort of Manhattan Beach and can't help but cringe -- the wilting heat, the steam-room humidity, the relentless thunderstorms. Carolina Panthers training camp is the last place he wants to be this summer. And the only place. Kalil isn't just the team's starting center, but he's also the anchor of its offensive line, the club's franchise player coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.

Arizona defensive end Antonio Smith, wearing a smile from here to Phoenix, engaged in some lighthearted trash talk with Carolina Panthers fans and flexed his muscles as he exited Bank of America Stadium. "We shocked the world," he said.

Well, I suppose now that one of them has made it into the Super Bowl, I'll have to try to learn the difference between the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Patrick William Bobillo Manhattan Beach

'It was very disappointing, but the sun did come out today and it was a bright day, so we just look forward to next season.' Nathan Vasher, Chicago Bear cornerback, whose team was eliminated Sunday by the Carolina Panthers in the NFC divisional round

The Carolina Panthers released outside linebacker Darion Conner, a starter last season, and swapped punters by waiving Kevin Feighery and signing Rohn Stark, who had been cut by Pittsburgh. . . . Tyji Armstrong, a four-year veteran tight end cut by Tampa Bay, has agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys to fill the final spot on their roster. The Cowboys have only one healthy tight end, Derek Ware.

OK, Panthers, once more with feeling. For the second time in three weeks, the Carolina Panthers will face the New Orleans Saints in a high-stakes NFC South showdown that will go a long way toward bringing the playoff picture into focus. Hanging in the balance is sole possession of first place in the division, and a possible first-round bye in the postseason. The Panthers, who have won nine of 10 games, suffered a 31-13 defeat at New Orleans in Week 14 but got new life Sunday when the Saints lost at St. Louis, 27-16.

The New England Patriots must get used to playing without Rob Gronkowski again. The star tight end who missed the first six games while recovering from surgeries is done for the season after being placed on injured reserve Monday with a damaged right knee. That experience could help the Patriots handle his absence. "I'd like to think there's going to be some carry-over there, not only [from] the first six weeks of the season, but the entire training camp as well," Coach Bill Belichick said Monday.

The Carolina Panthers have won eight in a row, and Sunday are headed to New Orleans for their most daunting challenge of the season. For the 9-3 Panthers, the objective is to thrive in the chaos and noise of the Superdome against a seasoned 9-3 Saints team that's 6-0 in that building. It's in these times that the Panthers lean on All-Pro receiver Steve Smith, who is at his best under pressure, as he was last month when he repeatedly upstaged New England corner Aqib Talib in a 24-20 victory over the Patriots.

Richie Incognito isn't any closer to getting back on the field for the Miami Dolphins, but his days without a paycheck will soon be over. NFL Media reported that Incognito and the Dolphins have reached an agreement to extend Incognito's suspension with pay while Ted Wells completes his independent investigation, according to people with ties to the Dolphins, the league and Incognito. As part of Incognito's agreement, he will be paid retroactively for the last two games and will receive game checks for the next two weeks.

Tom Brady might have not liked the call, but in the end, the New England Patriots quarterback blamed himself for not making a "better throw" on the final play of the team's controversial 24-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Brady's attempt at a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski was intercepted in the end zone as time expired, but a flag was thrown on the play in what appeared to be a pass-interference call. The referees then decided a foul was not committed by the Panthers, ending the game.

They are the darlings of the NFL - Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, New Orleans, San Francisco - but it isn't always the November darlings that wind up lifting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Last season, for instance, the eventual-champion Baltimore Ravens lost four of five games in December before igniting in the playoffs and going on their run. There are similar stories for other recent Super Bowl winners. So, while it's easy to be distracted by the so-called elite teams in the NFL, there's also a second tier of teams who have risen from the ashes of shaky starts and, though they don't lead their respective divisions, have played their way to relevance.

Bill Polian, a two-time NFL executive of the year who built the Buffalo Bills from losers into a three-time Super Bowl team, will become general manager of the Carolina Panthers, according to newspaper and television reports in Charlotte. . . . Pittsburgh Steeler special teams coach John Guy and defensive line coach Steve Furness were fired Tuesday after a succession of special teams breakdowns that cost them at least two games. . . . .

San Francisco 49ers (3-1) at Carolina Panthers (2-2) Channel 7, 6 p.m. * Storyline: The 49ers are no longer so explosive on offense, but like the Panthers a year ago, they rely on a stifling defense, which should overwhelm Kerry Collins & friends. But this is one of those setup games with the Panthers fighting back in front of a Monday night TV crowd, and knowing they defeated the 49ers twice last season. * The Pick: That's right, the Panthers.

Mike McCormack Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Mike McCormack, 83, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman with the Cleveland Browns, died of natural causes Friday in Palm Desert, where he had a winter home, the Carolina Panthers said. During his five decades in professional football, McCormack played, coached and held several executive positions, including president of the Panthers. The 6-foot-4, 246-pound McCormack was a dominant offensive lineman for the Browns, helping the franchise win NFL championships in 1954 and 1955.

The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Carolina Panthers in an NFL game as scheduled at 10 a.m. PST on Sunday, barely 24 hours after starting linebacker Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend at their home and minutes later took his life at Arrowhead Stadium. “After discussions between the league office, Head Coach Romeo Crennel and Chiefs team captains, the Chiefs advised the NFL that it will play tomorrow's game vs. the Carolina Panthers at its originally scheduled time,” read a statement on the Panthers' official website.